1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a door (e.g., a shower or closet door). More particularly, it pertains to a concealed hinge that can easily be adjusted to compensate for an out-of-plumb wall and that biases the door toward either a fully open or fully closed position.
2. Description Of Related Art
Doors for shower stalls and entryways are frequently mounted using vertical hinges. A problem commonly arises in that the doors are built to a standard size and the surrounding walls are out-of-plumb. When a door is positioned in an out-of-plumb wall structure, one portion of the door may fit properly, while another portion gaps away from the wall or scrapes against the door frame. For shower doors, this is especially undesirable as water may leak from the bathing area if gaps are left around the door.
Several vertical-hinge mounting structures are designed to compensate for out-of-plumb walls. See e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,284,074 and 2,595,506. However, the hinges in these structures are, unfortunately, exposed to view. Also, such mounting structures may incorporate a magnetic or mechanical latch to keep a door closed, but otherwise allow the door to swing freely. In other structures, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 539,741, a leaf spring is used to bias a door closed but the spring is exposed to view.
Thus, it can be seen that an improved hinge assembly is needed which can compensate for out-of-plumb walls and control the door position through the full range of motion, while at the same time concealing the unsightly operating components from view.